Huddie (pronouced HYEW-dee or HUGH-dee) William Ledbetter (January 23, 1888 – December 6, 1949) was an iconic American folk and blues musician, notable for his strong vocals, his virtuosity on the 12-string guitar, and the songbook of folk standards he introduced.
He is best known as Lead Belly or Leadbelly. Though many releases list him as "Leadbelly," he himself spelled it "Lead Belly." This is also the usage on his tombstone, as well as of the Lead Belly Foundation.
Although Lead Belly most commonly pl...